Controlled steering or directional drilling techniques are commonly used in the oil, water, and gas industry to reach resources that are not located directly below a wellhead. The advantages of directional drilling are well known and include the ability to reach reservoirs where vertical access is difficult or not possible (e.g. where an oilfield is located under a city, a body of water, or a difficult to drill formation) and the ability to group multiple wellheads on a single platform (e.g. for offshore drilling).
With the need for oil, water, and natural gas increasing, improved and more efficient apparatus and methodology for extracting natural resources from the earth are necessary.
The present invention is filed concurrently with application Ser. No. 12/635,875 titled GAUGE PADS, CUTTERS, ROTARY COMPONENTS, AND METHODS FOR DIRECTIONAL DRILLING, that is herein incorporated by reference.